ABSTRACT
The first encounters of European explorers with the peoples of Australasia in the eighteenth century took place against the backdrop of the Enlightenment and the beginnings of empirical science. The cultures of the Pacific provoked curiosity about the nature of primitive human societies and what could be learned about the nature of humanity, as well as stimulating ideas about social evolution. Acquiring information about Pacific cultures featured in the scientific aims of voyages of exploration such as those of England’s Captain Cook and the French expeditions led by La Pérouse and Baudin. The rich descriptions, artifacts and drawings that resulted not only provide an unparalleled record of these cultures, but also shaped the development of the emerging discipline of anthropology. Archaeology, however, was a relatively late development in Australia and the Pacific.
